Separation of powers

Turkey has always abided by "the principle of separation of powers" on which it has built its democracy, the nation's president said on Sept. 1.

The Lawyers Bar Association in Plovdiv has issued a statement in which it strongly disagrees with the views expressed in a television interview by Ivan Geshev on the separation of powers, BNR reported.

"It is important to have high public confidence even at the beginning of its activity," the president said, quoted by NOVA TV.

The independence of the judiciary is under threat in EU member states from Eastern Europe such as Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Romania, European Justice Commissioner Vera Yourova said, quoted by Associated Press.
 
She warned that this trend could undermine the credibility of the states of the Union.
 

Turkey's chief judge has urged judicial independence and impartiality for the full function of the rule of law and democracy. Zühtü Arslan, president of the Constitutional Court, emphasized the need to protect the separation of powers between the judicial, executive and legislative.

President Klaus Iohannis is urging the government to immediately repeal Emergency Ordinance (OUG) 7/2019 that amends justice legislation, and to implement the recommendations contained in the report by the European Commission on progress under Co-operation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) and in Venice Commission reports.

Whether they wanted it or not, our judicial officials today find themselves at the center of political life. They share a lot of responsibility for what is happening and will have to play a leading role in fixing the situation.

Two controversial phone tapping bills are heading to the Cypriot House next month, giving law enforcement officials better tools to carry out covert surveillance but also providing more checks and balances.

AFP - Poland was banned Monday from the EU body representing the member states' judicial institutions over its perceived lack of independence after controversial government reforms.

Citizens head to the polls around across Turkey on June 24 in snap presidential and parliamentary elections to elect 600 lawmakers and the country's first president with broad executive powers.